Powerball jackpot drops with $754.6M won by a single ticket

The Powerball jackpot is finally won, after several months of waiting time, by one very lucky ticket that was bought in Washington

The winless drought stretched for 34 weeks but it all changed on Monday, with an unnamed individual bagging the $754.6m payout, the fifth-largest jackpot in the history of the draw. The biggest jackpot won in the history of the lottery game, though, is $2.04 billion, which was secured on November 7, 2022, in California, the official website of Powerball details.

The near-nine-month period of no winners ended with the person getting all five numbers right and was the only participant to have done so during the most recent draw nationwide. Now, what remains to be seen is whether the winner would opt for the annuity option and avoid a bit of tax or claim it all in a lump sum and foot a rather stiff federal and state tax bill, leaving them with just $407.2m to do with as they see fit.

The winner played with 5, 11, 22, 23 and 69 in the draw, which turned out to be a success. While most winners opt for the lump sum, the annuity is a good way to guarantee steady income and not be tempted to burn through the money in one go.

Meanwhile, Powerball has reminded players to still check their tickets, as 1.7m tickets are said to have already won $21.1m, as per an official statement published by the lottery.

The Monday jackpot was also the first time the big jackpot was won this year. The other most recent jackpot was won in November 2022 in Kansas with the person securing $92.2m. Other lucky wins that took place last year include a $632.6m jackpot that was hit at the beginning of the year, among others.

Powerball is one of the most popular games in the United States and an affordable way to play the lottery. Powerball tickets are worth $2 per play and are sold in 45 states presently, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. While Powerball draws are a lot of fun, and winning a small prize has odds of 1 in 24.9, the jackpot has odds of 1 in 292.2m and is very improbable for a player to win in their lifetime.

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